Playoff Preview: Memphis Grizzlies Look To Upset The Spurs

The Memphis Grizzlies look to bounce back from their poor post All-Star break stretch as they roll into a best-of-seven series with the San Antonio Spurs.

The “Grit ‘N’ Grind” era started with a surprising six-game series victory over the Spurs. Ironically, it can all end against those same Spurs. The Memphis Grizzlies need to be at their best to pull the upset.

Season Series (2-2)

This matchup has been close all season. Both teams split the season series with each team winning two games at home.

Memphis Grizzlies handled San Antonio pretty easily in the first game, but Kawhi Leonard was unavailable. The Grizz took the second game, as both teams relatively healthy. The Spurs rode their defense to a home win in their third matchup.

San Antonio won an overtime thriller in their last game. Conley was knocked out late in the fourth quarter with an eye injury. Memphis had a chance to win but crucial turnovers cost them the game.

Key Matchups

JaMychal Green v Lamarcus Aldridge

Kawhi Leonard is the leader of the Spurs, but stopping Aldridge is crucial. His favorite spot on the floor is the left block, where he has a plethora of moves. If the defense is backed off, he’ll stepback into a high-release fadeaway. If the defender is tight on him, he’ll look to spin baseline.

His defense has been superb all year long, but JaMychal Green needs to step up his offensive game and utilize his speed against an older Aldridge. He also has to make himself a factor off picks as the defense will collapse on Conley.

The Benches

This is a battle between two top-10 benches. Tony Parker is the starter, but Patty Mills is playing more minutes. Pau Gasol has been very efficient since his move to the bench. Ginobili is capable of turning back the clock for stretches, when necessary. Kyle Anderson and David Bertans round out a scary good bench.

Z-Bo has carried the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench all season long, making a claim for Sixth Man of the Year. Brandan Wright can be relied on for a few rebounds and alley-oops. Troy Daniels and James Ennis have been inconsistent this season, but both are very important to Memphis’ success. For the second-unit to compete, Andrew Harrison has to play well so that Conley doesn’t have to play 42-45 minutes each game. Since Tony Allen is out, undrafted rookie Wayne Selden may find some playing time.

The Coaches

Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. He’s a big part of the Spurs’ sustained success. He will make the in-game adjustments necessary to win.

This is Coach Fizdale’s chance to prove himself as an elite coach in this league. For the Grizzlies to win, Fizdale needs to be as sharp as ever. He has to scheme a gameplan to slow down MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard without defensive stalwart, Tony Allen. The coaching battle may ultimately decide the victor.

X-Factor: Troy Daniels

Tony Allen is out indefinitely with a strained right calf. Somebody has to step up at the shooting guard position. Over the last couple weeks, Troy Daniels has shown that he can do more than shoot. His defense isn’t terrible, and he’s trying to crash the boards more. However to really impact this series, he has to catch fire from deep. If TD plays well, he could swing the series in Memphis’ favor.

Prediction: Grizzlies in 6 OR Spurs in 7

The regular season means very little in the postseason, even though these two teams played close. The Spurs could very well take this in four or five games like many analysts are predicting. However, the Grizzlies are a strong team – when playing their best basketball. Assuming Memphis realizes the “GNG” era may end soon, I expect a tough six or seven game series. Memphis can steal a game or two on the road to win the series in six contests. If it makes it to 7 games, if the Grizzlies don’t have enough firepower to win Game 7 on the road.

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